Industry Strategic Science and Technology Plans (ISPs) Platform

Coconut Industry Profile

The coconut industry is an important sector of agriculture in the Philippines. With 69 out of 82 provinces in the country producing coconut, the industry has a total production area of 3.62 million hectares and provides an estimate of 2.5 million farmers with employment. Moreover, the Philippines has over 347 million fruit-bearing trees and a total production (mt) of 14.7 million (nut terms) in 2018. As of 2015, domestic consumption of coconut in copra terms was 0.835 million metric tons (Philippine Coconut Authority, 2018). The Philippines also remains to be the second-largest producer of coconut among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), wherein it comprises almost 40% of ASEAN’s total coconut production (FAOStat, 2018). Major producers of coconut in the Philippines include the regions of CALABARZON, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, and Northern Mindanao. Being referred to as the “tree of life” due to its wide array of uses, coconut is mainly exported as products like virgin coconut oil (VCO) and desiccated coconut.

Problems in the Industry

In the past, the coconut industry has experienced various challenges ranging from low production to natural calamities and pest infestations. Certain studies pointed to low productivity being caused by old and senile coconut trees. On the other hand, historical disasters, specifically typhoons Pablo and Yolanda in 2012 and 2013, also instigated massive damages on coconut farms and other key players within the coconut supply chain. The industry further faced numerous infestations from coconut scale insects (CSI), locally known as cocolisap, which were first observed in 2010. The cocolisaps feed on the leaves, fruits and flowers of the coconut tree leaving only the trunk. This disables the production of coconuts, and the remaining use of the tree would simply be as coco-lumber. Although replanting of coconut trees is the immediate solution for the abovementioned problems, it will still take several years for them to reach the optimum maturity for production.

Coconut Policies





Coconut Programs

Data Source: Philippine Statistics Authority. 1990-2022.

Notes:

  • Volume of production of coconut in metric tons (MT)
  • Area of production of coconut in hectares (ha)
  • Yield of coconut production in metric tons (MT)
  • Utilization of coconut in thousand metric tons
  • Utilization of coconut per capita in thousand metric tons
  • Value of Production at Current Prices in Million PhP
  • Value of Production at Constant 2018 Prices in Million PhP
  • Gross Value Added at Constant 2018 Prices in Million PhP

 

  • Gross Value Added at Current Prices in Million PhP
  • Gross Supply of coconut in metric tons
  • Farmgate price of Coconut Green, Young ‘buko’ in Pesos per kilogram
  • Retail Price of Coconut Matured in Pesos per kilogram
  • Wholesale Price of Coconut Matured in Pesos per kilogram
  • Import value of coconut in thousand metric tons
  • Export value of coconut in thousand metric tons

ISP for Coconut

PCAARRD ISP on Coconut aims to address low productivity due to existing coconut stands predominantly with old and senile palms, coconut farms devastation due to typhoon throughout the country, and coconut scale insect infestation in CALABARZON, Basilan, and Zamboanga.

Strategic R&D

Strategic R&D is DOST-PCAARRD’s banner program comprising all R&D activities that are intended to
generate outputs geared towards maximum economic and social benefits
The Tacunan Dwarf x Laguan Tall (TACDxLAGT) hyrbids produced by the project thru assisted hybridization scheme in D’Farm, Brgy. Caldong, Sampaloc, Quezon.

Coconut Hybridization Program

Geared towards guaranteeing the production and ensuring sustainability of quality hybrids for the production of selected high-value products including coconut...

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Technologies

Products, equipment, and protocols or process innovations developed to improve productivity, efficiency,
quality, and profitability in the agriculture and aquatic industries, and to achieve sustainable
utilization and management of natural resources

Technology Transfer Initiatives

Technology transfer initiatives ensure that the outputs of R&D and innovations are transformed
into viable and applicable technologies that help intended users

Capacity Building

Capacity building efforts of DOST-PCAARRD seek to develop and enhance the R&D capabilities of researchers
and academic or research institutions through graduate assistantships & non-degree trainings
and development and/or upgrading of research facilities

Infrastructure Development

Manpower Development

Capacity building on Coconut Genomics Program

Policy Research & Advocacy

Analysis of policy concerns and advocacy of science-informed policies ensures that the AANR policy environment is conducive for S&T development
and investments

Competitiveness of Philippine Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

Producing VCO in the Philippines is competitive in terms of exports and import substitution. This implies that the country earns foreign exchange from exporting VCO. There is also no need to import said product from other countries because producing it is domestically cheaper. As long as the average yield (4.84 mt/ha in 2017) does not decrease by 54 percent, or domestic cost does not grow by 102 percent, the country will still be able to sustain its competitiveness in exporting VCO.

Reference:

Lapiña, G. F. and Andal, E. T. (2017). ASEAN Economic Community: Opportunities and Challenges for the Crops Sector. Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines: Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources